The Illness
by N i g h t W a v e
Summary: The rest of the digidestined have fallen ill but little TK. WIll he be able to help them?
1. Default Chapter

The Illness 

BY: Dol Daughter of Light

--Chapter I--

"T.K., wake up." Patamon nudged his sleeping companion. T.K. coughed, rolling onto his back. It was late in the day already, the boy realized, though the group was concealed in a cave. "What is it Patamon?" He asked, sitting up. "What''s wrong?!" His first instinct was to fear for the worse. 

"I don't really know. The others aren't looking to well." He told him. T.K. stood up, moving to the closest digi-destined, Tai. 

Patamon was right. He was pale, and sweaty. His face was light red. "Hmm." T.K. murmured. Thinking of what his mom would do if he were sick, T.K. placed his hand, palm down, onto Tai''s forehead. 

"What? Oh, T.K." Tai asked in a weak voice. To T.K's dismay, his forehead was really hot and clammy. He had a fever. "What is it?"

"Um, nothing." T.K. told him. Tai immediately went back to sleep. Slowly and quietly, He went from person to person, digimon to digimon, feeling identical fevers. Patamon watched with interest. A pit formed in his stomach, wondering what to do. "What 's wrong with them, T.K.?" Patamon asked. 

"I don''t know. They're sick, I guess." T.K. told him. "I don''t know what to do." 

"Me either." Patamon told him.

"Well, when I'm sick, mommy used to keep me in bed and make me drink yucky ginger-ale. I guess we need to get them warm." T.K. suddenly remembered. "Come on. We need some sticks." Feeling a whole lot better, they gathered dry sticks and leaves. T.K. was sure if they got warm; they'd get better. Patamon trusted whatever T.K. thought.

"Ok. Now what?" Patamon asked. 

"Now we rub the sticks together, and it'll make a fire." T.K. told him. He did just that, except no fire developed. "It ain''t working." T.K. whined. "Keep trying, T.K." Patamon urged. Agumon was lying beside them, half-asleep. He watched the boys. Once again, no fire developed. "Oh, It's still not working, Patamon!" T.K. said, frustrated. 

Agumon coughed a well-aimed flame, lighting the fire. "Agumon, you shouldn't waste your strength." Patamon told him. "I'm okay." He insisted, sitting up. "Are you sure, Agumon?" T.K. asked. Awakened by their chatting, Gabumon sat up, groaning. "What is going on?" He asked. He was apparently fine. "I thought you said that they were sick?" Patamon asked T.K. "I don''t know a digimon temperature. I was guessing." He informed. He turned to Gabumon. "Hi. I thought you were sick like the others." 

"What do you mean, sick?" He asked. Not waiting for an answer, he nudged Matt. Groggily, Matt sat up. "Oh, man, I feel awful. What is it, Gabumon?" His voice was flemmy and weak. "Are you okay?" T.K. asked. A clap of thunder suddenly echoed. The ''digi- forest'' was getting dark and scary. "Yeah, just a little woozy." Matt told him. He actually felt awful, but didn't want his little brother to worry. Another thunderclap beckoned. T.K. shuddered. "Looks like rain." 

"Will you guys shut up? I'm trying to sleep." Biyomon demanded. She was sitting up, watching them. Matt sneezed, getting up. He half walked half ran to the cave entrance. Suddenly vomiting sounds filled the air. "Eww." Patamon commented. "Matt, are you alright?" T.K. moved beside his older brother. Matt shrugged, wiping his mouth. "You're sick, huh?" Matt hesitantly nodded. "So are the others. But don't worry. I'll take care of you guys. The digimon too." The small boy sounded confident, but inside he was confused and scared. 

--Chapter II --

Hours had gone by. Mostly the kids slept the whole time, but every now and then someone would wake up and puke, or move closer to the fire. The rain pelted the cave roof. T.K. pulled the digimon aside, making a group. 

"Okay, I guess those guys _are_ sick." He whispered. "So we have to take care of them. We need to get food, and water, and-and more sticks for the fire. Kay?" The eight digimon nodded solemnly. 

"I know it's raining, but we gotta go and get stuff. Someone hasta stay with them incase a bad digimon comes. Any volunteers?" T.K. asked. He was uncomfortable giving orders, and uncomfortable being the only one not sick. "I'll stay." Biyo piped. He nodded. "Okay, let's go." They split up. T.K. hesitated, but entered the pelting rain. It was cold and wet. 

________________________________________________________ 

"Oh. Hi." Kari woke up, finding Biyo standing in the cave entrance. "Hi. How are you feeling?" Biyo asked, sounding cheerful. "Kinda yucky." She looked around. "Where's Gatomon?" 

"They're out getting food and stuff. You guys are sick." Biyo informed. "Oh. I'm going back to bed. Night." Kari layed back down sighing. She knew something was going wrong. 

T.K. walked in the trees, dampened and grumpy. He found a patch of berries, and began picking them. Suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder. "Whoa!" T.K. yelped. He turned, facing a weird little digimon. It was a little shorter than T.K., And looked more or less like a upright dog. "Hi. I'm Perromon. You''re a funny looking digimon." It said in a squeaky voice. "Oh. Hello." T.K. stammered. "What's your name?" It asked. "Oh. I'm T.K." The nervous boy stated. Patamon entered the clearing. T.K. turned to his friend. "T.K.!!" 

________________________________________________________

Hours Later 

Slowly the digimon returned with the supplies. The digi-destined were awake, and worried. Patamon and T.K. still hadn't returned. "Where are they?" Matt asked nobody in particular. "Don't worry. They probably stopped and hid from the rain." Sora said, optimistic. No one answered. They all knew in the digiworld, usually if something happens, it's bad. 

Another hour passed. The rain stopped. "I'm sick of waiting. We need to go find him!" Tai said loudly in frustration. He looked over at Matt, who was deep in thought. Tai was thinking as if it was Kari out there, how bad he would feel. "Come on" Matt, Izzy, Joe, Sora, and Tai all got up. The digimon were all at their sides in seconds, telling them no. "Your sick! No." Agumon ordered. "Matt, I know your worried, but you'll get even more sick." Gabumon reasoned. "We''ll go find him!" Gatomon reasoned. They all agreed. "But" Matt started. "We''ll be find. We'll have T.K. and Patamon here in no time." Tentamon reassured. The digimon left, leaving eight worried kids in a cave, in a world they don't belong too. ________________________________________________________

--Chapter III--

"Ohhhh." T.K. groaned. He felt the warmth of a fire close by. His head was pounding, and his wrist was hurting like crazy. His hat was gone. He cautiously opened an eye. "Hi." Perromon said cheerfully. He was sitting across from the laying boy. T.K. quickly sat up. 

"Who are you?! Where are we?! What do you want?!" He asked. The digimon giggled. "I''m Perromon, we're in a cave, and I want to help you and your friends."

"Oh." T.K. didn't trust it just yet. "Where's Patamon?" 

"Who?" It asked. "Patamon. The orange guy, with wings?" T.K. repeated. Perromon shrugged. "Never heard of him." It said innocently. "But I have heard of you digi-destined! Did you really defeat Myotismon?!" It asked excitedly. "Well, yeah." T.K. was unsure. 

"Anyway, I know the other guys are sick, and I know how to save them." Perromon said happily. "You do?" T.K. asked. "Uh-huh. But I need your help. It may be dangerous." It lowered its voice to a low whisper. "But it will save the others?" T.K. asked, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach. "Hmm-Hmmm." The boy listened to the weird digimom's plan carefully. When finished, T.K. solemnly agreed. Matt, Tai, and the others sat silently, waiting. 

Finally they heard their digimon's shouts coming in their direction. They entered the cave, carrying a tied and beat up Patamon. Kari quickly untied the poor digimon. "Patamon! What happened?!" She asked soothingly. "T.K..... T" The poor thing never finished its sentence. It passed out. 

"Takeru." Matt echoed, turning to the cave door.

"You sure this will work?" T.K. asked. They stood about twenty feet from the cave''s entrance. "Sure I'm sure." Perromon said perkily. He pulled up a long rock up, implying for him to lie down. "It will go right from them to the stone. They won't be sick anymore." 

"O-okay" T.K. laid on the damp stone, holding his digivice in one hand, digi-crest in the other. He knew he was sacrificing himself for the others. It wasn't something he didn't know about. But if they die, two worlds would die, and he would live. That's how T.K. was analyzing it. "Perrogate!" Perromon yelled. A blast of light came from it's yellow coloured paws, landing in the cave entrance. A gate made of light cris-crossed , trapping the others inside. 

"What the?!" Tai yelled. They all came to the gate. "T.K.!" "Okay, now close your eyes. " It ordered. T.K. obeyed, starting to tremble. Inside the cave, digi-destined were fighting the bars, unsuccessfully. Matt and Kari watched at the gate, Matt clenching his teeth. Suddenly pain erupted. It happened to all group. Perromon leaned close to T.K.'s body, humming. T.K. felt his body begin to tingle, slightly painful. He gasped, holding the items in his hand tightly in sweaty palms. He was going numb. "It's hurting." T.K. murmured. "It's almost over." Perromon said tensely. He continued to work. Unable to hold it in any longer, T.K. began to cry out in pain. Matt watched, holding himself, as T.K. began to float above the stone. Tears streamed down the crying boy's face. He knew it was almost over. He could feel it. He could see memories, of when he was little, when his family wasn't divorced. 

How he and Matt used to play in the apartment's hallway, playing basketball. The pain was climaxing. 

"T.K.!" Matt yelled. Izzy watched as Matt's crest began to glow, making Gabumon digivolve to Garurumon. The gate was gone in seconds. "Get away from him!!" Tai yelled. Perromon was shocked at them escaping. Garurumon slammed the small digimon. T.K. slammed into the stone, still glowing a fluorescent white light. Matt kneeled in front of his little brothers body, ignoring the chaos around him. T.K.'s crest was creating the light, the rest of the small boy, pale and shaking. Matt touched his forehead, scared. 

--Chapter IV-- 

"T.K.," The rest of the group formed a circle around the boy and the stone. "What did you do to him?!" Tai demanded. Agumon and Gomamon, with Garurumon were holding Perromon behind just in case. "It was his choice. I just made it bias." He growled. "What did you make bias?" Tai repeated. Garurumon growled. "I made you guys sick, and I told him if he would cooperate, I would make you better by giving the illness all to him. Happy?" Perromon said, sarcastic. Matt advanced, ready to pound him. 

Tai held him back. Patamon landed next to T.K.'s head, scared his companion was dead. He, too, began to glow. The light engulfed their bodies. T.K. began to float. Perromon laughed. This time Tai advanced to pound the jerk. Izzy and Joe grabbed him. "Look!" Sora gasped. They all turned to the light. Patamon had digivolve to Angemon, and was holding T.K. The boy was limp, small in the angel's arms. Each of the crests suddenly began to glow. Beams connected from the crests to the weak child. They all held their breath. Slowly, the light faded. Sun broke threw the storm clouds above. 

Setting T.K. down, Angemon reversed to Patamon. Garurumon changed to Gabumon. They all gathered around the boy. "T.K.. . . " Matt started. Before he could say anything else, his brother coughed repeatedly, turning to face the ground. Finally, he returned to laying position, gasping. "Hi." He said weakly. 

The whole group began laughing, Patamon flew over, holding T.K.'s cap. They all gave him hugs, and head rubs, and more hugs! He was all right! It was amazing. Kari gave him a kiss, and T.K. turned beet red. "Hey, where did that little jerk digimon go?!" Tai suddenly asked. The group looked around. He was gone. "You almost got yourself killed for us." Sora said softly. 

"So? You'd do the same for me, right?" T.K. shrugged. The pain was fading from his memory. Matt rubbed his head, adoring his brother's honesty. "You bet." He told him. A bruised and weak T.K., had brought the group closer than ever before, almost losing his life. Will Perromon ever show up again? Who knows . . . . . . 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Perromon Returns

Perromon Returns

by: Dol Daughter of Light

  
  
  
  


[][1]Chapter One

~*~

"It's hot." Mimi whined. It was true, the digidestined had to agree. The hot, flat, desert they were walking in was quaking with heat. The fur covered digimon were panting heavily.

"Let's take a brake." Joe suggested. He didn't have to say it twice. The group sat, all getting a good survey of their environment.

The desert was vacant, and as said before, hot. The blazing sun was in the center of the sky, beating down on the weary travellers.

"Oh, my feet hurt." TK whined. They all were whining, except for "Too-Cool" Matt, and "Fearless-Leader" Tai, though they were in the heat, too. 

"I wish there was some shade." Matt commented. After a few more minutes of rest, they once again began to travel. TK was red in the face, wheezing. His hat made a sweat ring around his head. He didn't feel good. Patamon, who was riding on his partner's head, noticed they were slowing. 

"What is it, TK?" Patamon asked. 

"I don't know. I just don't feel good." TK stopped, resting his weight on his knees. Patamon hopped off.

"TK," The digimon started, but before he could finish, the boy collapsed. By then, the others had realized he was missing. They ran over. 

"TK!" Matt exclaimed. He helped his brother sit up. TK coughed, looking up at him with large blueish-grey eyes. Matt pressed his palm to his brother's head. It was hot and sweaty. He turned to the others. 

"He has a fever." Matt said softly. 

"That's not good." Mimi commented.

"We need to get him out of the sun and give him fluids if he's sick." Joe informed. His father is a doctor, so he knew. They all were grim. 

They were grim because they still remembered the happenings of just last week. A digimon named Perromon had made all the digidestined horribly ill, all except for TK Unaware it was Perromon who made the others sick, TK took up a deal with the digimon, in which all the illness would go into his small body, to make the others well. When it did, the poor kid almost died, but somehow his crest saved him with a mysterious white light. TK was still recovering, but the others were now aware of the fragileness of their youngest member.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Sora asked him. 

"It just happened." He told her. He began to cough hard. Matt patted his back, giving awkward stares at the others. 

"Let's find some shade." Tai concluded. They all began going to who knows where, Matt giving his brother a piggy-back ride. Tai hung back from the group, Agumon with him. Kari and Gatomon slowed to his side.

"What is it, Tai? Are you getting sick?" Kari asked. 

"No." Tai sad in a thoughtful tone.

"Then what is it?" Agumon asked.

"TK" He said before thinking. He didn't want to scare his sister. 

"What do you mean?" She asked, stopping and looking at him with wide eyes. 

"Nothing. Just worried 'bout him." Tai said quickly.

"You really think something really wrong?" Kari asked, now worried.

"I hope not. He hasn't fully recovered from the last incident." Gatomon commented. Kari gulped, worried about her friend and connection. He knew how she felt most the time, so they were semi-close. Plus they were about the same age and has bonded. 

"I'm sure he's fine. Come on." They caught up with the group. TK's normally rosy coloured skin were pale, and he was coughing hard. Izzy and Sora had scouted ahead, looking for shade, with Tentomon and Biyomon. They walked in silence, except for TK's coughing. Patamon flew close to TK's head, worried. 

"Hey! Guys, over here!" Sora yelled from a large distance ahead. "We found a forest!" TK leaned his forehead on Matt's shoulder. His stomach churned, making him feel miserable. Matt felt his shirt dampen, his brother's head warm and sweaty. 

They ran over, Matt falling behind. Sora was right, but it was actually like a jungle. Mimi and Sora quickly gathered ferns and leave, laying them in a small rectangle. Matt layed his brother on the bed. TK murmured a meagre thanks and fell asleep immediately. An uneasy silence fell over them. 

"Sora, is there any water around here?" Joe asked. 

"I don't know." She said, doubtful. 

"I'll go up and take a look." Biyomon offered. She took off.

"I hope it's just a cold." Mimi said optimistically. "Kids get colds, right?" 

"Whatever." Matt mumbled. He kneeled beside TK, who coughed weakly, moaning. He rolled onto his side, holding his stomach. He looked really little and vulnerable, innocent. It scared Matt. He hadn't seen his brother in that way since they were little kids. It truly scared him.

~*~

Perromon watched with interest as the digidestined watched his prey. His grudge against TK hadn't always been a grudge, but revenge to Lord Myotismon. _But he had made it a grudge, that damn TK_, Perromon thought. _Now he's mine, for keeps. And those digidestined can't stop me._

"Pachamon!" He snapped. The tree he was standing in wiggled as his henchman scrambled up. "It is time TK is mine."

"Yessir." Pachamon agreed. She was a small, purple, raccoon like digimon, with the attack of Pain Punch. It is weak, and is usually a henchman of a more powerful digimon.

"Now, we watch. Now, we watch." Perromon cackled. 

Chapter Two

~*~

"Here, Joe." Sora handed Joe her hat, filled with cold water. Tai moved, making a space for him in the circle around TK . Matt sighed ruefully.

"Hey TK" Joe urged. He moaned, blinking. He finally opened his eyes. They were dull, no longer joyful and perky. 

"Hi." TK said weakly. 

"How 'yah feeling?" Joe asked. 

"Okay. Not too good, not too bad." He replied. Joe took a cloth from the medical bag, soaking it in the water. He placed it on TK's forehead, then gave him a drink. TK fell asleep soon after. They got up, backing away.

"So now what?" Tai asked Joe. 

"Now we wait. We'll let him rest." Joe said softly. 

"We can't do anything?!" Tai demanded.

"It's not like there is a hospital around here." Joe snapped back. "Anyway, he just needs rest. I hope." They glanced at the sleeping boy, with a little girl kneeling beside him. 

"I guess we stay here for the night." Tai concluded.

~*~

Night came quickly. They created sixteen beds, a large fire, and had a meal of berries and leaves. TK wouldn't eat anything, despite the other's coaxing. He was slowly getting better, at least that's how he appeared.

"You sure you don't want anything to eat?" Matt asked one more time. TK shook his head no. "Well, you look better."

"I feel better." He responded. Patamon landed on his stomach. 

"That's good." The relieved digimon chirped. TK scratched him behind the wings.

The rest of the group were sleeping, except for Izzy, who was typing away on his laptop. He and Matt had the first watch, Tai and Sora second, and so on. Kari and TK didn't have watches. They never lasted the whole watch, no matter how hard they tried.

"Can I get up yet?" TK asked. 

"No. At least not till tomorrow." Matt said in a warming tone. "Now go to sleep, squirt."

"But-" TK started to protest.

"Takeru, Now." Matt said patiently. TK sighed deeply.

"Good night." He said humbly. "Night Izzy!"

"Night." Izzy answered absent mindedly. Patamon snuggled against TK, as the two dozed off.

~*~

Joe and Mimi had the final watch. The sun was rising, and Mimi was whining. Another normal morning. Perromon watched contently.

"We need to give him one dose of this stuff, and that should do it." Perromon laughed to himself. He called for Pachamon, handing the little digimon a blue vile.

"Here." Perromon ordered. "I don't know how you do it, but get that little brat to drink this." 

"Yessir." Pachamon said obediently, taking off.

~*~

"Let's get going!" Tai said energetically. The others followed. TK was much better, and very hyper. He, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon sprinted ahead, stretching their legs.

"Slow down!" Matt said in a tolerable tone. He was glad they were back to their high spirited selves.

"At least their back to normal." Sora sighed. The others nodded in agreement. It was peaceful. . . . . for about ten minutes.

"TK!" Kari's voice rang out, followed by a yelp. 

"Uh-Oh." Mimi stated.

"Let's go!" The group ran forward, entering a nearby clearing. Angemon and Angewomon were in full battle. TK and Kari weren't in sight.

"Look Out!" Angemon yelled. A ball of fire came at them. They screamed, jumping back. It came from a weird looking digimon, like a six-legged centaur. 

"TK! Kari!" The brothers yelled. A ball of fire came at them again. They nimbly dodged it. 

"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon yelled. The arrow pierced the centaur, disintegrated it. Silence, for about two seconds.

"Kari! TK!" Sora noticed a tough of hair sticking up from nearby bushes.

"Do bushes grow hair?" She asked Joe. He shook his head no. They rushed over, pulling the bushes apart. Kari was kneeling over TK, covering her face with her hands. TK was laying, stomach down, lifeless.

Tai pushed threw, Matt at his side. He grabbed Kari's shoulders, scaring her. She jerked, turning. 

"Tai!" She exclaimed, hugging him. "I, oh no." She was crying.

"TK!" Matt exclaimed, kneeling beside the lifeless boy. He feared the worse for his little brother. Joe took TK's pulse.

"He's alive." Joe said, his voice thankful. Matt rolled his brother onto his back. TK was unconscious, with a large scratch on his forehead.

"What do we do?!" Matt asked, kind of shrilly. TK coughed, groaning weakly. His breathing sped up, then relaxed.

"What happened Kari?" Tai asked his crying sister. She shook her head no. "Tell us to help TK"

She inhaled deeply. "Well, we ran ahead, faster than our digimon, and TK was a lot faster than me." She started. "It was fun till a digimon came."

"It was Pachamon. A small digimon, usually a henchman for a more powerful digimon." Gatomon informed. "It's only attack is Pain Attack, but his has sharp claws."

"Anyway, I thought it was cute, till I got close. From afar It looked like they were just talking," She choked back a sob. "But it was really hurting him. Pulling him down." Matt squeezed his brother's limp hand. 

"By the time we got there, the little jerk was gone." Gatomon finished. "Then Centapeedmon attacked." 

"I pulled him away, but he wouldn't wake up. He threw up some blue stuff, and they were fighting, and, oh." She covered her face with her hands. Tai hugged her. Matt pulled his hair back in distress. Sora gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. 

"Wh-why would a Pachamon want to hurt TK?" Joe stammered. 

"It didn't. Whoever ordered it to, did." Izzy informed. TK groaned, coughing, spitting up blue liquid. Matt rolled his brother onto his stomach so he wouldn't choke. His heart was racing. Why TK? He was already weak.

"What should we do?" Kari asked weakly, still pressed to her brother's body. Matt felt his brother's forehead, which was scalding. And his hands were like ice. His breathing was ecstatic in intervals. Joe pulled a cloth from his bag, handing it to Matt. He wiped TK's mouth. The jungle suddenly got a lot scarier.

"We need to get medicine." Joe told the group. "Or some kind of civilization." They all murmured in agreement. 

"Look!" Izzy said suddenly. He was pointing to TK. The outline of the boy's crest was shining threw his sweater. 

"I don't think that's good." Joe commented. Patamon collapsed.

"Patamon!" Gatomon cried out. Gomamon reached the digimon first.

"What is it, Patamon?" He asked.

"TK-so weak." Patamon wheezed. Tai picked him up.

"What is it, little guy?" 

"I-TK, Ohh." The poor thing was to weak to speak. 

"Looks like their both sick." Izzy said softly.

~*~

"Perromon!" Pachamon skittered up the tree. "Perromon!"

"What is it, you little. ." Perromon started.

"Sir, I gave it to the kid, sir," Pachamon stammered. "but he only drunk half of it, sir, sir, he threw up the rest, sir!" Pachamon flinched, waiting for the punishment. 

"Why only half? Why didn't" The digimon said in a steely tone.

"Centarumon attacked!" It yelped, covering it's head. Perromon exhaled slowly. 

"Well, this time, your excused." He said Cooley. "But this time, if he doesn't get a whole dose, your as flat as a digifly."

~*~

The group began to search for civilization. They feared it was life or death matter for TK and Patamon. Matt carried TK, and Tai carried Patamon. It was hot and humid, the jungle dense. Izzy and Joe scouted ahead on Kabuterrimon.

Patamon weighed seven or eight pounds, no problem to carry for long periods. TK, on the other hand, weighed about forty-five pounds, almost half of Matt's weight. The boy was running ragged. Not that he would admit it. He hid it well.

"I hope we find someplace soon." Sora said wishfully. She slowed down, allowing Matt to come to her side. "How's he doing?"

"He hasn't stirred, but he's alive." Matt said ruefully. He was sick with worry. TK coughed, wheezing. His hands were clasped on top of his stomach, Matt carrying him like a baby.

"He'll be fine." She said with fake confidence. "Really." 

"Sure." Matt mumbled. 

"Guys, we found a Tsnemon village!" Joe suddenly ran up to them, panting. "They said they'll help us."

"Tsnemon?" Matt asked. "Isn't that the first evolution after your digi-egg?" He asked Gabumon. 

"Second, actually. " He answered. "They will surely help with TK and Patamon." He said happily. Joe lead the way to Kabuterrimon. Tai, Izzy, Kari, Mimi, and their digimon were already on board. soon they were on their way.

"Is that it?!" Tai asked over huge flapping wings. He was pointing to a large clump of greenish huts about a quarter mile away.

"Yes." Izzy replied. "The Tsnemon seem friendly." Tai nodded, not finding weird to be riding a very big digimon. 

"Hang on, you guys!" Kabuterrimon warned. "It's going to be bumpy descent." Bumpy was the _slight_ way of putting it. The whole group almost fell of as Kabuterrimon dove. Kari grabbed her brother's arm, alarmed. 

"I think I'm going to be sick." Joe whined. Finally, they were on solid ground. Before they climb off Kabuterrimon, he returned to Tentomon. They fell in a heap.

"Ow." Mimi whined. Tentomon shook his head, coughing in the dust. They got to their feet, except for the ill members. They were taken into arms. 

"Tsnemon," A squeaky voice yelled. "attack!"

"Huh?" Sora started, then was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, almost knocking the air out of her. 

"Tsnemon, stop!" Gabumon ordered. The fur balls froze at the familiar voice, but the digimon were tense. Tai pulled Sora to her feet, as Biyomon jumped ahead of them.

"Who are you?" A Tsnemon asked. Izzy stepped forward.

"Hi. Don't you remember us?" He asked as Tentomon hovered over his head. "We were here just a little while ago."

"Oh. You were?" It asked. Izzy nodded, coaxing the whole group into nodding. "oh. Sorry. Come on!" The Tsnemon escorted them to the village. The green huts were actually small, about Joe's height. 

"These seemed a lot bigger up high." Kari noticed. Tai moved to Matt's side, checking in on TK Nothing had progressed in the boy, but Matt was out of breath and wheezing. 

"Are you okay?" Tai asked him, knowing he would say yes.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Matt said half heartedly. 

"Is this the digimon "TK" you asked us to help?" A small Tsnemon asked, indicating the boy in Matt's arms. 

"He's not a digimon. He's a _human_. All of our friends are humans." Gomamon informed.

"Yeah. He's sick." Mimi said softly.

"Ohhhhh." They murmured as if they understood, which they obviously didn't. "This way." They lead them to a hut. Inside was a small bed, and a small chest of drawers. Matt layed his brother down on the bed, Patamon curling up beside him. Matt and Tai covered them with a wool blanket that was on the foot of the bed. TK moaned weakly, rolling onto his side. 

"We will find food." A perky Tsnemon said happily. "Are you hungry?" They all said yes, except for Matt and Kari, who shook their heads no. Sora gave them side long looks.

"Come. We will eat." It lead them away, Matt and Gabumon remaining. Kari hesitated, but followed her brother. 

~*~

"This is good." Joe commented. "Though I am probably allergic to it." They were eating something like oatmeal, and some kind of fruit. The Tsnemon were watching contently.

"I wonder what it is." Tai said, letting a piece of it _splat_ into his bowl. Sora sighed, setting her bowl at her feet. She was worried about TK and Patamon, and Matt. _Though he isn't sick now, he will if he_ _continues to be so selfless_, she thought.

"Sora?" Biyomon asked.

"Oh, yeah Biyo?" Sora answered, waking from her thoughts. 

"You okay? Don't tell me _your_ getting sick." She asked.

"I'm just fine. Tired, I guess." Sora told her, smiling. 

"Stop it, Tai! Stop!" Kari yelped between giggles. Tai was tickling her, laughing.

"I knew I could get you to smile." Tai told her. They all laughed as Kari began tickling him. An uneasy silence swept over them. Izzy took out his laptop, beginning to type.

~*~

The digidestined spent the rest of the day helping the Tsnemon either collect food, or transport things from one side of the village to the other. Night came surprisingly fast.

The Tsnemon set the group up in two huts, side by side. Exhausted, they fell asleep as soon as the sun set.

Chapter Three

~*~

Tai woke. It was late. A dim candle lit his hut, making eerie shadows.

"Oy." He sighed. He turned to Kari-who wasn't there! Tai sat up quickly, alarmed. Gatomon was missing too. He got up, walking out of the hut. To his surprise, Sora was standing in the doorway of the hut across the way.

"Sora?" He asked.

"Shhhh." She whispered. "Look." He walked over, peering into the hut.

TK was lying asleep on the bed, Patamon sleeping on his head. Matt had one hand on his brother's chest, the other clasping his harmonica. Gabumon was leaning on his shoulder, also sleeping. Laying across his legs was Kari, Gatomon beside her, halfway under the bed. Beside them was a melted down candle, and three barely-touched plates of food. They all were peacefully sleeping. Matt looked totally innocent and scared, his shield of come backs and stealth thinking down.

"I know Matt is going to make himself sick. Gabumon does as Matt, and Kari blames herself for TK getting sick." Sora whispered. "And-and I'm afraid TK and Patamon aren't.."

"We need to think positive." Tai cut her off. "I-TK has to pull threw. He's strong. If he wasn't, he would've been gone long ago." Tai leaned on the door casing, looking away. Sora sighed.

"Tai," She started. Suddenly a little creature ran between them into the hut.

"What the. . . ." Tai asked softly. They entered quietly. The purple creature had skittered onto the bed, and was leaning over TK's head. "Hey!"

"Get away from him!" Sora cried. Matt woke up at the noise, getting up. Gabumon was alert instantly. 

"It's Pachamon!" He exclaimed. Matt grabbed by the scruff of the neck. 

"This is. ." Matt started. The Pachamon reached up, clawing Matt's hand. "Ow!" He dropped it. Gabumon grabbed it. By then, The whole group was awake. Mimi, Joe, Izzy, and the digimon stormed in. Kari held her knees, watching in confusion. Gatomon stood beside her. 

"What are you doing here?" Gabumon demanded. A faint drip was heard, and only Sora detected it. It was a drop of Matt's blood hitting the wood floor. 

"Matt," She rushed over. "Look at your hand." Three, two centimeters wide, incisions ran from the edge of his pinky to the center of his palm. His whole hand was covered in blood.

"What happened?" Joe asked. He saw the blood and turned white. 

"What is that?" Agumon asked. The other digimon were wondering the same thing. Tai saw the blood.

"Joe, get the medical bag!" He ordered. 

"It ain't that bad." Matt murmured, still half asleep. The Pachamon struggled. Too worried about Matt to care, Gabumon shoved him into the top drawer of the chest, shutting it tight. 

"Oh, ew." Mimi repeated. Sora sat Matt on the foot of the bed. Joe came with the bag, handing it to Tai, who handed it to Sora. 

"Oh Matt." Sora told him. They formed a semi-circle around them. 

"Really, Sora it's-OW!" Matt started, then yelped in pain. Sora wiped the cuts. "I repeat, ow!

"What is that stuff?" Gatomon asked.

"What stuff?" Kari asked her.

"That red stuff."

"That's blood." Kari told her. "It's what's in side us humans." This was the first time any of the members had gotten badly wounded, at least with blood.

"Why does it hurt him?" Gabumon asked. "The blood."

"Ow! Sora, not so hard." Matt was now wide awake, and whining. Sora was trying to wrap the wounded hand, Matt not helping. But she tolerating it. _At least he stopped being so selfless_, she thought. 

"The blood doesn't hurt." Izzy explained. "It's the_ getting_ of the blood that hurts. It's the body telling us that blood belongs inside. You get it so far?" Izzy asked the digimon. They remained silent.

"Uh. . . . . new approach." Izzy tried again. "Your skin is on the outside, and there's wires and stuff on the inside, right? Well pain is a way your body tells you to not do that again, right?" Once again they nodded. "Well, blood, for us, is saying don't do that again."

"Okay, but what about TK?" Biyomon asked. Everyone was listening now. 

"What about TK?" Izzy asked.

"Well, he hurts, and he's not doing anything to _not_ do." She asked.

"Uh. . . . . . ." He looked to the others for help. 

"It also hurts when our bodies are fixing themselves." Sora supplied, tying off Matt's hand. He flinched.

"A lot." He mumbled. As if on cue, TK began coughing loudly. TK groaned, Patamon wheezed. Matt placed his good hand on his brother's forehead. "It's actually lower, I think."

"What happened to that Pachamon?" Gomamon asked. 

"Oh." Gabumon opened the drawer, taking out the struggling digimon.

"Let me go!" It hissed. A tube of blue liquid fell from it's fur. "I must obey my orders."

"What are your orders?" Kari asked, picking up the tube and stepping forward. Gatomon pulled her back as Pachamon swiped, almost hitting her head.

"That's confidential." It pipped.

"Hey, this is the stuff TK threw up!" Kari realized, holding the tube up. 

"Who is your boss?!" Tai demanded.

"I'm not telling." Pachamon sniffed. Gatomon flexed her claws in front of his face. "M-m-maybe I will."

"Well?" Gatomon purred.

"Master Perromon." It rendered. "He ordered me to give him another dose."

"Dose?" Matt asked.

"The blue liquid. Perromon calls it a dose." Izzy took the vile from Kari.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't know." Gatomon raised an eyebrow "Really!" It said nervously. 

"You mean he's already had a dose? Is that what's making TK sick?" Joe asked. It nodded. 

"Why is the name Perromon so familiar?" Sora wondered aloud.

"Da ja vu." Mimi agreed.

"Because that was the digimon who almost killed TK last week." Matt said solemnly. TK coughed blinking. They watched, hoping he'd wake up and smile innocently. He didn't wake, but rolled over onto his stomach. 

"Well," No one knew what to do. They were all exhausted. In the end, Pachamon was in a cage, Matt laying on the bed with TK, and everyone else on the floor.

~*~

"Ohh." Patamon groaned. He rolled over onto TK's face.

"Patamon, get off." TK whined, rolling over. The sun was just rising and the air was chilly. TK rolled into Matt, who was in a deep sleep.

"Oh, it's impossible to sleep now." TK whispered. Patamon agreed. They quietly crawled off the bed, amazingly not waking any of the fifteen others. TK picked up his shoes and hat and sat in the doorway.

~*~

"Where is that Pachamon?" Perromon wondered aloud. He watched as the sun got ever so higher in the sky. He sighed. "I guess if I want it done, I'll have to do it myself."

~*~

Tai rolled over into Sora, his head two inches from hers. They opened their eyes symotaniously. They sat up, uttering embarrassed chuckles. 

"Patamon, if you want to wear my shoes, I think you need bigger feet." TK's voice was heard. They turned to the doorway, and the shadows of a young boy and digimon.

"You think so?" Patamon asked.

"If their _too_ big they give you blisters." TK informed.

"Blisters?"

"I don't know exactly what they are, but they hurt a whole lot."

"Oh." Patamon quirked.

"TK!" Sora cried. "Your all right!" She and Tai walked over, waking the others.

"Of course I am." TK said as if they were crazy. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"TK!" Matt hugged him as Mimi rubbed his head.

"Guys, what's going on?" He asked. "Did I forget something?"

"Yesterday you were sick, remember?" Joe asked the confused little boy.

"I was?" He asked.

"You were, and you don't remember?" Izzy analysed. "How odd."

"Really." A new voice agreed. They all turned, Matt and Tai grabbing their siblings. The digimon stepped forward. "What, you don't remember me?"

"Perromon!" TK gasped. Matt held him tighter.

"What do you want?" Izzy asked, stepping forward. 

"Just for you to meet a few of my friends." It cooed. A blade covered digimon entered the doorway. It was twice the side of any of their digimon. It approached Izzy, who was separated from the group. He froze. Sora noticed and pulled him back as Tentomon jumped ahead of him. 

"It's Blademon. His blades could remove your head from it's body in seconds." Agumon informed. "It's a mega-digimon." Two more Blademon stood behind it, and more behind that.

"Blademon, attack! Bring me the youngest, alive or dead!" Perromon ordered.

"No!" Tai yelled. All the digimon digivolved to the next level, almost crushing the digidestined. The hut crumbled.

"Couldn't you have waited till you were out of the hut?" Joe asked Ikkakumon, climbing onto his back.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Aah!" Kari yelped. A blade was coming at her. TK slammed into her, pushing her out of the way, barely missing it himself. Angemon dove, grabbing them. 

"Angemon!" TK cried happily. Battle raged below them. He dropped them off wards from the fighting. Matt and Tai saw and ran over.

"The two of you find some place to hide." Tai ordered, panting.

"But" TK started to protest.

"But nothing! Go!" Matt ordered tersely. TK hesitated, but took Kari's hand and began to run. They ran as fast as they could.

Garurumom ran over, changing into Gabumon.

"Gabumon!" Matt yelled. He sat him up.

"I'm to weak. . . ." Gabumon panted. Blades landed on either side of them. They looked up.

"Look out!" Izzy yelled to them from on top of Kabuterrimon. More blades.

"No!" Tai yelled in terror. Gabumon and Matt dove, one blade pinning Matt's shirt to the ground. 

"Gabumon!" He yelped.

~*~

"Where are we going to go?" Kari asked. TK sighed. 

"I don't know." He told her. "But there hasta be somewhere." She tightened her hand's grip on his. "Don't worry, Kari. It's going to be alright." TK sounded more confident than he was.

The forest was getting deeper and denser. The leaves on the ground were going up to their knees. It was hard to walk threw. 

"Someone should rake these." TK commented.

"Really." Kari agreed. They became silent. Kari tripped over something, but managed to keep balance. "Watch~"

"Aah" TK fell.

"Out." She finished. 

"Ow!" TK yelped. "Help me." She kneeled beside him. "It hurts." She pushed the leaves away. A hunter trap was clamped on the boys foot. It made a blood rim around his ankle.

"Oh my~TK!" She gasped. She pressed the sides, releasing his foot. He fell flat on his face.

"Ow." TK stated. Kari pulled him up, catching as he lost balance.

"Can you walk on it?" Kari asked. 

"Yeah." He told her, putting pressure on it. He cried out in pain. "No." He said sheepishly. 

"Here. Lean on me." She offered.

"You sure?" TK asked.

"Come on she urged." He wrapped his arm on her shoulder. She did the same to him.

"Okay. One, two, one." TK counted. They stepped in tune, going deeper into the woods.

~*~

"Aaah!" Matt yelled.

"Nooo!" Tai screamed.

"Agumon, warp-digivolve to. . . . . . Wargreymon!" Suddenly a protective shielded arm blocked several blades from Matt and Gabumon. Gabumon lifted the blade from Matt's shirt, freeing him. A blade got by.

"Gabumon, warp-digivolve to. . . . . Metelgarurumon!" The knife shattered into a million pieces. 

"Way to go!" Matt exclaimed, climbing onto Metelgarurumon's back. The Blademon ran.

"Yeah!" They yelled and cheered.

~*~

It was late afternoon. TK and Kari was getting worried. Where was their brothers? And the others? TK kept telling himself to be brave for Kari.

"We'll find a place soon." He told her.

"Okay." She answered with no confidence at all. They walked a little longer, coming to a cave in which the entrance was covered with bushes.

"Told ya." TK pipped. They pushed threw, struggling with the bushes. 

"Oh, it's cold in here." Kari whined. TK agreed. They sat two-thirds of the way in, huddling together. "So now what?"

"They'll come looking for us, and find us. They told us to hide, didn't they?" TK told her. She nodded. TK brought his knees to his chest and hugged them.

"Listen!" Kari suddenly snapped. They froze. Footsteps were coming closer. Kari grabbed TK's arm. They could see red eyes glaring at them.

"Oh no." TK whispered, his blue-grey eyes large. They shuddered as the creature stepped out of the shadows. Both of the young children had their eyes closed tight. A strong hand grabbed TK's arm, lifting him from the ground, still sitting indian style

"TK!" Kari yelled.

"No, let me go-Leomon?!" TK yelped. His pounding heart slowed. The familiar digimon chuckled.

"Sorry if I scared you." Leomon apologized. Kari kept a firm grip on her companion, as she had never met Leomon personally before.

"Leomon, what are you doing here? In a cave?" TK asked.

"This is my home, TK. What are you and. . . .isn't it Kari?" Leomon asked. She nodded shyly. TK explained how they had gotten there. Leomon wrapped TK's ankle with a thin cloth. 

"I hope they find u~" Kari started. Suddenly a blade crashed into the cave. They shrieked, Leomon growling. TK stood up, ten feet from the others.

"TK!" Kari screamed. She watched in horror as stones fell all around the boy. She ran over, grasping his arm. Rocks crashed beside them.

"TK! Kari!" Leomon yelled.

~*~

"How far could they have gone?" Gatomon demanded. They kept walking, calling Kari and TK's names. They had been missing for many hours. Matt and Tai had began to be mute. They both had guilt and worry on their backs. Sudden screaming and crashing came from ahead.

"Kari." Tai stated.

"TK." Matt echoed. Gatomon and Patamon took off. After a moments hesitation, the rest.

~*~

"TK! Kari!" Leomon yelled. The cave was collapsing. The children screamed. Two angels suddenly zoomed in.

"Angewomon!" Kari yelled happily. TK, who was watching their surroundings, shoved her out from a falling stone as it crashed down.

"TK!" Angemon yelled. He grabbed him as Angewomon grabbed Kari. The five of them narrowly escaped, as the cave crumbled down.

"That was close." TK exulted. They flew high in the sky. Below the digidestined cheered below.

"Yes!" Matt yelled. Then he noticed a shining blade coming toward the group in the sky. "LOOK OUT!"

"No!" Sora cried. Biyomon digivolved into Birdramon, but it was to late. The blade struck Angemon in the stomach, instantly changing him to Patamon.

"TK!" Patamon yelled. TK fell from the sky. "No!" The little digimon took off after him.

"Cawww!" Birdramon screamed. She stopped the coming blades with her Meteor Blade.

"Ahh!" TK continued to fall. Patamon grabbed the boys book bag, but his weight pulled him down. They screamed. 

"Aahhh~umf!" They crashed into Angewomon, who nimbly caught them. Angewomon suddenly changed to Gatomon, and they all fell, crashing into the back of Ikkakumon.

Chapter Four

~*~

"Ohh. Ow." Kari moaned. She opened her eyes half way. Her back hurt a lot, and she had a killer headache. A warm palm brushed the hair from her face. She opened her eyes, seeing her brother staring down at her. "Hi."

"Hi Hikari." He said warmly. Kari calked an eyebrow. Tai _never_ calls her by her full name.

"What is it?" She asked. Kari sat up. They were in a cave. The others were watching them bleakly. Gatomon sat beside them. "What?"

"Well~" Tai started. Patamon flew in, panting. He collapsed into Mimi's arms.

"No-no sign of either of them." He whimpered.

"Poor Patamon." Mimi cooed. Kari looked around. Matt, Gabumon, and little TK was missing.

"W-where's TK and Matt?" Kari asked in a wobbly voice. 

"They disappeared." Izzy said softly.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. "They can't be." The others remained silent. She knew it was true. She bit her lower lip, wanting to cry. As if her knew, Patamon flew over, slamming into her. She hugged him tightly.

~*~

"Ow. Gabumon, where are we?" Matt asked. They were in a dark place. A very, very, dim light was in the corner. You could barely see it.

"I don't know." Gabumon answered.

"Is anyone else here?" Matt asked.

"Uh-huh.." A voice answered. Matt recognized it. 

"TK?" He asked.

"Where are we?" TK sounded as if he had been crying. "Where are the others?"

"It's okay, TK." Matt reassured. "Is Patamon with you?"

"No. I'm by myself." He sniffled.

"No your not, TK." Gabumon stated.

"No one else is in here with me. It's so small." TK's voice was soft a wavering. 

"Where are you?" Matt demanded. He was getting scared. 'Small in here'? The room was pretty roomy. Where was the poor kid?

"I think it's a cage." TK answered. "I'm, I'm really scared. It's so cold."

"Hold on, TK." Matt urged. Then to Gabumon: "We need a light." Suddenly a blue flame lit the room. Gabumon handed Matt the newly created torch. He got up, looking around. He spotted TK in the corner in a small cage.

"Matt!" He yelped. Matt rushed over, grabbing the lock. It was a combination lock. He wouldn't be able to get it unlocked for hours. Gabumon walked over.

"Allow me." He stated. In one twist of his arm the lock was gone. Matt pulled his brother out. They hugged.

"Where are we?" TK asked.

"I really don't know." Matt told him. "Gabumon, you have any idea?"

"No. I wonder how TK got in there." He wondered. 

"Last thing I remember is falling with Kari and our digimon." TK remembered. "Then I woke up here."

"All I remember is watching you fall." Matt told him. 

"Me too." Gabumon agreed

"Oh, how touching." A voice cooed. Matt raised the torch in the direction of the voice. No one was there.

"What the~" Matt started. 

"Ahh!" TK exclaimed. Matt turned, seeing his brother jump forward. The startled boy moved close to Matt. The cause stepped from the shadow. It was a larger, more metal covered Perromon. 

"Perromon!" Gabumon growled. 

"That's Metalperromon." It corrected.

"You digivolved." TK exclaimed. 

"Thanks to you." Metalperromon hummed. "Namely, your digivice." TK felt his book bag strap.

"It's gone." He gasped. The boy felt his neck, pulling out his crest. "At least this isn't."

"It will now." Metalperromon snapped, stepping toward him. Matt stepped in front of TK.

"Don't worry TK. Got you covered." Matt told him. Gabumon stepped ahead of them.

"TK? Your parents didn't even give you a full name. Hah." Metalperromon laughed. TK snuffed, holding his crest tightly. He inhaled deeply, and stepped forward, next to Gabumon.

"For your information, I do have a full name." He said softly.

"TK." Matt warned. Sudden pain, horrible pain, engulfed the boy.

~*~

Sora and Izzy watched the children sleep. The rest of the group was searching for food. Both TK and Kari were knocked out in the fall. 

"Aaah!" Kari sat up, gasping. Seconds after, TK did the same. They both held their bodies tightly.

"TK! Kari! It's alright." Izzy said over their gasping.

"Where's my brother?" They said in unison.

"Matt, Tai, get in here." Sora called from the cave's opening. Both of the young children were sweating and wide eyed. Matt and Tai came in.

"Kari." Tai hugged her. He could feel her body trembling. Matt noticed the same in TK as he held his shoulders.

"Guys, it's okay." Matt reassured. They quickly told about the dreams they had, which were amazingly the same with swapping of characters. Matt noticed they kept holding their chests. He asked if it hurt.

"Yeah." TK said softly. The boy was holding his knees so tight his knuckles had turned white. Both older brother's could tell they were badly frightened.

"It was just dreams. Perromon didn't digivolve, and we're all together." Tai reassured. They looked up at him with large, fear-filled eyes. Eyes with no sparkle or cheer. "Just a dream." They remained silent. Tai turned to Matt.

"Come on, guys. It's okay." Sora told them. Kari held her knees TK style. They were more scared than ever before.

"Hey guys, I think I figured something out." Izzy said from his laptop. "Why TK and Kari have been connecting." They group walked over, Tai and Matt pulling their siblings along. 

"Tell us." Joe said, cleaning his glasses. 

"Well, I believe their first related threw their digimon. Not at their normal level, but as Angemon and Angewomon. They are the same creatures almost, except for genders."

"What does that have to do with Kari?" Gatomon asked.

"Well, when we are scared or in danger, our digimon knows without us telling. You feel it. So if we can be part of our digimon, we can be connected to another threw that digimon." Izzy explained. 

"Then how come this is starting _now_, and not _then_, if you know what I mean." Mimi asked.

"Well, if you let me finish." Izzy said in a annoyed tone. "Well, when Perromon had his first attack on little TK~"

"I'm not little." TK interrupted.

"~he was saved by a bright white light. It was very familiar and I've finally remembered where I have seen it before." Izzy continued. "Kari. Kari was engulfed in the same bright light at the battle of Machinedramon, remember?"

"Oh yeah. It made me stronger." Gabumon remembered. 

"Well, I hypothesize that since Kari used her crest to save TK, which were originally supposed to be just for Kari and Gatomon, she and TK had been entwined into one crest/digimon team, like a crest of "Hopeful Light" or something like that." Izzy typed a quick line and sighed. " So I fear if TK and Patamon gets ill, so dose Kari and Gatomon. So if Perromon attacks TK, it may affect Kari as well. Hopefully we never find out, for the sake of Patamon, Gatomon, Kari, and TK."

"I don't get it." Sora stated. "We've all saved TK at one time or another. Why aren't we connected?"

"We, as person and digimon, have saved him. Kari did with out thinking or on her own free will. Her crest did it naturally." Izzy explained. TK looked down at his feet, his mud caked shoes. _It's all my fault, and I dragged Kari into it. It's my fault, _he thought to his self_._ His crest began to glow dimly. Izzy immediately noticed. 

"Look." He stated. "Last time that happened it wasn't good." A brighter light came from Kari's crest. It made TK's crest look dull. _At least she's stronger._

"Well, I don't feel any different." Kari told them. "How 'bout you TK?" He didn't answer. _I can't believe I'm the cause of it all._ "TK?"

"Huh? What?" TK asked. Matt immediately placed a hand on his forehead. Tai did the same to Kari.

"Fever." Matt stated.

"Faint one here." Tai agreed. 

"I feel fine." Gatomon stated.

"Me too." Patamon agreed. TK coughed, pulling away from Matt. He rested his weight on his knees. He suddenly felt horrible. Kari became worried instantly. 

"TK?" Matt asked. "You okay?" 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." TK stated. Nobody believed him. The boy was pale quickly. Matt had him sit down. He held his knees, and Patamon landed on his head. The poor digimon didn't know what to do for the boy. 

"Come on. It's the best for the both of you to rest." Joe told them. A loud crash suddenly came from outside. They all froze. Another crash.

"What is that?" Kari asked. 

"We'll find out. You guys stay here." Matt stated. "And Patamon and Gatomon."

"But~" They protested. 

"Stay." All the others said in union. Kari sighed, sitting, the older children leaving.

"Sorry." TK mumbled. 

"It's not your fault." Patamon told him. Gatomon and Kari nodded in agreement. TK grabbed his stomach as it burst with pain. He groaned weakly. 

"TK!" Kari forced him into laying down. He looked up at her with soft blue eyes. She stroked his hair as he started to drift from consciousness. Light came from behind them. Patamon and Gatomon jumped ahead of them, fighting stance. It was a projection.

"Sorry if I startled you." A familiar voice stated.

"Genaii!" Kari asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to warn you. How is TK?" Genaii asked. 

"He's sick again. He's unconscious." Gatomon told him. A see threw hand stroked the boy's head. He groaned weakly. Patamon sighed.

"I think I know what the elixir has done to this young digidestined." Genaii stated. "I believe his thought are being fed to his crest." They gave him confused looks. "He has the crest of Hope. I believe he's running out of hope, and positive thinking. That's what's making him ill." Genaii sighed.

"You means his guilty thoughts are-are making him sick?" Kari stammered. "What if he keeps thinking bad? I mean, guilty." 

"I don't know. This is the first group of digidestined I've associated with." Genaii told her. "Hopefully the elixir will wear off." Kari pulled a vile of blue liquid from her pocket. "The elixir."

"Well. if TK going threw this, he can't be by himself." She stated. 

"Kari! NO!" Gatomon cried, diving. It was too late. Kari had swallowed it all, and passed out. "Go get the others! Now!" She ordered Patamon. He flew. She turned to the side-by-side children. "Kari! TK! Come on guys, wake up! Please? Come on!" She shook them in vain. Kari coughed, vomiting the liquid. Gatomon rolled her onto her stomach. Kari opened her eyes, suddenly awake. She coughed, turning to TK. 

"TK? TK!" She cried out. She pushed the boy's shoulders. He groaned, opening his eyes. They were sparkling. "Oh TK!" She pulled him up, hugging him. He cautiously returned the hug, not as strong. 

"What happened~TK!" Matt came in, out of breath. TK gave his innocent smile. 

"Kari!" Tai came in seconds after. "Your alright! What is Genaii doing here?" He demanded. They stared for a few moments, before they realized they were still hugging. They released, laughing softly. The group ran over, ecstatic. Both brothers placed hands on foreheads. 

"No fever! Your better. How?" Matt asked his little brother. TK shrugged. 

"Kari, what happened. Gatomon told me you drunk that vile." Tai asked.

"I did." She stated. "But I don't remember anything." She stated. 

"Me either." TK nodded. Kari put an arm around his shoulder. 

"Okay, your not telling us something." Izzy said in a happy tone. "But I'm pretty sure something happened." They remained silent, but kept smiling. That was it. They began hugging the young children and laughing. Patamon landed on his TK's head and laughed. 

A weak and bruised TK and Kari remained close from then on. They never did say just what happened, though the rest of the group asked many times. It was their little secret, the two of them. But there are many more adventures in their future. . . . . . .. . . . . .

  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


   [1]: mailto:Gabumon13@excite.com



	3. The Story

THE STORY

by: Dol Daughter of Light

  
  
  
  
  
  


___*This is occurring one year after TK and Kari have returned home, in which Kari and TK are nine years old. *_

  
  
  
  
  
  


Prologue

~*~

"Come on, guys. It was a long time ago." TK whined. Matt sighed, turning to Kari. 

"Will you tell us?" He asked.

"I don't know. TK has a good point that you guys will worry." She said in a logical tone. She sat at the foot of TK's bed.

The whole group was sitting in the Takaishi household. Matt recently moved closer to the other digidestined, so he and Gabumon could bike to the others. TK's room was small and the sixteen people/digimon barely fit in there. 

"It was in the past. Why would we worry now?" Patamon asked. 

"Come on guys, tell us!" Sora whined. "Please?"

"We never found out what happened to Perromon." Joe stated. " I wonder what happened to him."

"Tell us already!" Izzy said from his laptop. TK and Kari looked at each other. Kari nodded slightly. TK shrugged. 

"Okay." They said finally. They gathered round, Tentomon and Patamon hovering. . . . . . . . 

Chapter One

~*~

"You start." Kari told TK.

"No, you. I don't remember the beginning." He answered. 

"First, was you know who?"

"Uh-huh." They both shuddered. 

"I have no clue what their talking about." Mimi whined. "Talk normal."

"Oh, okay." Kari inhaled deeply.

~*~

"No, Kari No!" Gatomon dove, but it was to late. Kari had drunk the whole vile, and immediately passed out. 

"Where am I?" Kari asked. She woke in a weird place, with walls of bright colours and large, black windows. It was empty, but the air was almost to thick to breath. She felt incredibly alone. " TK? Where are you?!" 

"Oh?" A faint groan came from behind her. She quickly turned. TK was laying on the ground. 

"TK!" Kari ran over, helping him sit up. He looked at her with wide eyes. 

"Where are we?" He asked. 

"I don't know. I drunk that elixir." She told him.

"Here? Again?" TK asked in a wobbly voice. "Oh boy." He stood up, looking around. 

"You've been here before?" Kari asked him. 

"Every time I pass out. It's scary here." He told her. "It's different every time." He took her hand. "Come on." They walked slowly. 

"So what happens?" 

"Nothing. Not till it happens." TK said softly. "It's always a different digimon." 

"Digimon?" 

"Last time, it was Etemon." He told her. "It was horrible. That's how I got this." He showed her a slice on his left arm, near his elbow. It was about twelve inches long, going up. 

~*~

"This is believable. NOT!" Izzy said, laughing. Matt rolled his eyes. The others tried to mute their laughter. TK, mad at their sarcasm, rolled up his sleeve, holding out his arm. A scar was across his arm, twelve inches long, going up. They immediately silenced. Matt looked closely at it. 

"Now do you believe us?" TK asked. 

"How come I haven't seen that before?" Matt asked him.

"I didn't show you." He answered. Kari sat Indian style on the floor. 

"Keep going." Sora urged.

~*~

They walked for about an hour, but nothing happened. TK felt like a moron. Why did it happen before and not now? _Once again, I've dragged Kari into it_, he said to himself.

"I guess it's not going to happen." TK stated.

"You never know in a place like this." She whispered. "They always wait till you don't think it will happen."

"True." A new voice cackled. They turned.

"Devimon!" TK gasped. Kari held his hand tightly. 

"Yes, young digidestined." He said softly. 

"Now what?" Kari whispered. TK shrugged.

"What, are you frightened?" Devimon taunted. TK palms began to sweat. Kari looked at him, expecting orders of some kind. Devimon came closer. 

"What are we going to do?" Kari repeated.

"Running comes to mind!" TK told her. They took off. 

"Who was that guy?" Kari demanded as she ran.

"On of the first guys we defeated." TK told her. "Her really didn't like me or Patamon. Angemon defeated him." He stopped running, looking around. "The longer we're passed out, the more digimon show up. The worst so far was five."

"Oh my." Kari commented. 

"_It's what scares you._" A gentle voice soothed.

"Genaii?" Kari asked,

"_Yes, Kari._" He answered. "_The digimon are your deep down fears that you never expressed. Your crest is wanting more hope, TK, not negativity._"

__"You mean if I stop thinking bad things, this will all go away?" TK asked. 

"_It isn't that simple, I'm afraid._" 

"What?" Kari asked. "What does he have to do?" Suddenly, a loud explosion filled the air. 

"Uh-oh." TK stated. A familiar digimon came into view. 

"Machinedramon!" Kari cried. She stepped behind TK. "Stop thinking bad."

"I'm trying. I'm trying." He murmured. He stamped his feet. "Happy thoughts aren't working!" He yelled. Kari grasped his hand and began to run. Running right into another digimon.

"Aaah!" They screamed.

~*~

"TK!" A voice yelled from the hall. TK woke from the horrid memories quickly.

"Yeah, Mom?" 

"It's getting late. I think your friends should go home now." She replied.

"But Mo-om!" Both TK and Matt whined. 

"Yamato, Takeru," She answered in a stern tone. " now." 

"Can't they spend the night?" TK asked, opening the door. She stood in a perfect motherly stance. "Please?"

"Please?" They echoed in pleasant tones. Matt raised his eyebrows. She was softening. 

"Please Mrs. TK and Matt's Mom?" Palmon begged.

"Oh, all right." She said. "Go call your parents." They ran out of the room, except for TK and Matt. "You two owe me." She told her children. 

"Don't ya love us?" Matt laughed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Two

~*~

"Pizza's here!" TK's Mom entered the living room with two boxes. The pizza quickly was divvied out to the sixteen hungry stomachs. They had practically destroyed the living room, and only after a half an hour. The parents were arriving in a few hours with clothing and other necessities. 

"What do you want to do now?" Kari asked. They all stared at her and TK. "Still?"

"Come on!" TK whined. "Do we have to _now_?"

"Do we _have_ to answer that question?" Matt asked. "Continue." TK rolled his eyes. Matt nudged him in the back. 

"Okay already!" TK sighed.

~*~

"Umf!" The children collided with another digimon, falling back. They looked up at. . . . 

"Uh-oh." They said in union. Standing in front of them was Perromon. TK stood up, pulling Kari to her feet.

"We're trapped." Kari whispered. TK shook his head slightly, unwilling to except it. 

"What to you want?" He asked. 

"Revenge, TK. Revenge." Perromon cackled. 

"What do you mean?" The boy repeated. A sharp wind ripped threw the vast hall, adding a chilling atmosphere. Kari noticed that the other digimon had disappeared. She moved close to her friend. 

"I'm scared." She told him. 

"Don't be. It's gonna be alright." He told her. Perromon stepped forward. TK wanted to back away, but knew he had to stand up to this monster. Kari shuddered against him. 

"Well, revenge against you dishonouring our deal." He said simply. TK couldn't help but give a questioning look. "It was part of our deal that _you_ die. Your still alive, aren't you?" 

"No. Our deal was I'll take the others illnesses into my body, and if I die, I die. It wasn't part of are deal." TK snapped. 

"You should of read the fine print." Perromon growled.

"We didn't even write it down." TK reminded him. He growled again. 

"He got the better half of ya, huh?" A new voice laughed.

"I really wish they would stop doing that." Kari said, turning. There stood. . . .there stood . . 

~*~

"Kari, your repeating yourself." Izzy told her. She and TK were sitting side by side on the carpet, and each had lost a little colour. 

"Oh, I was?" She asked. TK sighed, looking up at Patamon. He looked down at him from atop the boys head. 

"I'l-I'll take over." TK said. Both of the children were scared, and their older siblings could tell. But they were dying to find out what happened. 

~*~

  
  


There stood Piedmon. He was as cruel as ever, at least by looks. He laughed at their surprised expressions. He raised his eyes from TK, to Perromon, to TK, as if he didn't even see Kari. 

"How did you get here?!" Perromon demanded. 

"Same as the others. _His~ _" He sat a hand on TK's shoulder, but he jumped away. "fears. But I'm smart enough to keep myself here."

"This is _my_ world. Your _not_ part of it!" Perromon yelled. "He is, they are, but _your_ not!" 

"They fight more than me and my brother." TK whispered to Kari. She nodded. While they fought, they ran. Ran till they found a place to hide, a small space behind a rusty old staircase. 

"I don't think they see you." TK told Kari. His tone was soft and fast. "I think I did something right." 

"What are you talking about?" Kari demanded. 

"Well, I feel safer when I'm not by myself. So your not a bad thought, so you don't show up. I don't know how you got here, though." He explained. He kept looking around, expecting a evil digimon to suddenly appear. 

"So if you think of me in a bad way, they could see me?" Kari asked, intrigued. 

"I don't know. I don't know anything." TK sighed. He pulled his knees to his chest.

"TK, stop it! Your thinking bad again. What happened to the 'Happy' TK that I used to know?" Kari reprimanded. "Come on. You didn't get the crest of Hope for nothing." TK smiled slightly. 

"I guess not. But I don't try to think about the bad side of everything, it just happens." He told her. She sat beside him.

"Well, what changed it?" Kari asked. A familiar cackle hummed in their ears. Both children n froze, hoping Piedmon wouldn't see them. The staircase pressed down, pieces of rust falling down on them. Kari began to talk, but TK slammed his hand over her mouth. Their breathing was shallow and short lived. They watched as a shadow swept across their bodies as the evil digimon crept up the stairs. 

"If I were vermin, where would I hide?" Piedmon said to himself. He acted as if it was a huge game. A fun game, at that. Kari watched as TK's crest began to glow softly. She grabbed it, hiding it's light from above. As she did, TK did the same to her. Both their crests were glowing. TK moved his hand from Kari's mouth slowly. 

~*~

"Guys!" The door suddenly opened. All of the digidestined jumped, yelping. Seeing it was only Joe's mother, they laughed nervously.

"Sorry if I scared you." She apologized. "Here Joe." She gave him a book bag and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He turned red.

"Mom," He said sheepishly. Sora and Mimi laughed. Another parent came in, Izzy's mother. 

"Oh, hello Wyomi." She said to Joe's mom. "Izzy." He got up and took the bag from his mother. She sighed, adoringly. "Izzy, you behave." 

"Yes, Ma'am." He answered. Both the mothers left, and two fathers entered. 

"Hey Daddy." Mimi said sweetly. 

"Hello cupcake." Mimi blushed. He sat two suitcases down beside the group. He gave her a kiss and immediately left. The other man, Tai and Kari's father, tossed a bag to each of his kids. 

"Thanks, Daddy." Kari told him. He squeezed her shoulders. 

"Your welcome." He told her. "So what are ya kids up to? Planning to drive Matt and TK's mother nuts?" He asked.

"I heard that!" TK and Matt's mother called as she passed the door. He chuckled, leaving. The only parents left are Sora's and Matt and TK's Dad. 

"So, what happened?" Izzy asked once it was clear. TK swallowed. The door opened once more. His and Matt's father walked in. 

"Hey guys." He said cheerfully. He tossed Matt a bag. "Clothes." He stated. Matt nodded. The man came up behind TK, picking him up. "Hey, squirt." Then, after a few seconds "Why are you shaking?"

"I'm not shaking." He told his father, though he was. The others held their breath. 

"Yeah, you are. Come on. Let's go see Dr. Mom."

" But Da-d!" TK whined. They went into the hall. 

"We shouldn't of pressured them into telling." Sora whispered. Tai came up behind Kari, setting his hands on his shoulders. 

"Your shaking, too." He stated.

"Am not." Kari whined, pulling away. "It was a long time ago. Why would it affect me now?" She was lying threw the skin of her teeth. "I'm older than I was then. I'm no longer eight years old." 

"We know, but~" Joe started, but he was at a loss of words. They all still considered TK and Kari the 'babies' of the group.

"Hey, look." Izzy pointed to the slightly ajar door. They could see TK and his parents. The concerned looking woman sat a hand on TK's shoulder. TK moved away, saying something they couldn't hear. His mother said something back. He protested, but went down the hall. The parents chatted. 

"Uh-oh." Mimi stated. "I think we just got him in trouble." The mom came in.

"TK's sick. I sent him to bed, so keep the noise down." She told them. They nodded, feeling guilty.

"Yes ma'am." Matt answered. She gave them a funny look, then left. They all sighed. Feeling guilty, the group decided to watch a movie then head to bed. 

~*~

  
  
  
  


Chapter Three

~*~

Tai woke in the middle of the night with a, ya know, "call of nature". After doing his duty, he reentered the living room and layed down. He did a head count, something he learned from their adventures in the digital world. He recounted the sleeping companions. He was two short: TK and Kari. TK was in his bedroom, but where was Kari?

"Hey, Matt." Tai kicked him. Matt groaned, rolling over. Tai kicked him again. Matt sat up. 

"What's your problem?" He asked.

"Kari's missing." Tai said, as if explaining it all.

"I give you two guesses where she is, and the first one doesn't count." Matt said sarcastically. Tai shrugged. Matt rolled his eyes. "TK's room." 

"Which room is that? I just want to check." Tai said in a 'Big-Brother' tone. Matt got up, leading the way.

"Your paranoid, ya know that?" Matt asked him, annoyed. "If I can't get back to sleep, I'll" He grumbled. They came to a door with, in big stencil letters, :**Takeru.**

"Was that so hard?" Matt asked Tai. He opened the door. The floor was bare. The bunk bed was empty. 

"So where are they?" Tai asked. Matt lead the way to the back of the room, to a red inside tent, the doors tied open. Inside was TK and Kari, asleep. TK was in pale blue pajamas, and Kari in the same exact ones, but pink. A flashlight lit the tent at their feet, and a pile of paper and pencils sat beside it. They looked very peaceful. 

"Happy now?" Matt grumped. Tai grabbed a blanket from the floor and approached the tent, then bumped into something. 

"Huh?" He asked. He pressed his hands up against an invisible wall. Matt walked over, and did the same. Their was a force field around the tent! "What is this?" 

"I have no clue." Matt stated. "What is making this?" He pressed on the invisible wall, then jumped back, shocked. "Ow."

"It shocked me." Tai said in amazement. 

"No duh." Matt sneered. Tai rolled his eyes. "Go get the others." Tai left. Matt sighed, pulling his hands threw his messy blond hair. "TK! Kari!" Matt said softly, hoping to not wake his mother. "Guys," 

"What's going on?" Patamon flew in, followed by the others. Matt sighed, stopping the group a couple feet from the invisible wall. 

"Oh, joy. Their sleeping." Mimi said groggily. "Can _we_ go back to sleep now?"

"We're not showing you that their sleeping." Tai said shaking his head. "We're showing you this." He tossed the blanket at the tent, and it landed on the field. After a few minutes the sides began to sizzle. He pulled the blanket of with a yard stick.

"What is that?" Izzy asked. Both boys shrugged. 

"It shocks, and that's all we know." Matt told him. 

"Hey, Kari!" Tai said loudly. 

"My Mom," Matt reminded. Then, in a loud whisper, "TK, Kari, wake up!" Both children groaned, opening their eyes. "Guys,"

"Kari, get up. You too, TK." Tai coaxed. The rest of the group watched, half asleep. 

"Kari!" Gatomon said as loud as she dared. The girl sat up, groggily. TK followed, getting to his feet. Kari looked around, and immediately burrowed her head into her pillow. 

"TK!" Matt whispered. TK, now wide awake, shook Kari and pulled her to her feet. They walked out of the tent, staying close to it. 

"What's going on?" Kari asked. 

"Guys, just stay in the tent." Gatomon told them. 

"You woke us up for that? Thanks." TK whined. "Tell us, what is going on?" They took a few steps forward. Suddenly TK's bedroom door opened. The digidestined turned to the door. 

"Guys, what are you guys doing in here?" Matt's mother demanded. 

"Ow!" and " Hmm!" Suddenly filled the room. Both Kari and TK had walked into the force field, and were thrown back by the shock. They were on their butts on the hard wood floor, cradling their arms. Red marks cris-cross marks were across them. 

"TK!" Matt cried.

"Kari!" Tai echoed. The panting, frightened, children looked up with looks of bewilderment. 

"What was that?" TK finally asked. They remained on the floor, holding themselves. Mom turned on the light. 

"What is going on?" She asked, walking over. Tentomon flew over to the woman.

"Um, well, you see," He stammered, stalling. "Patamon will tell you."

"I will?" He asked. "Oh, yeah, I will." He hovered their nervously. "Matt?"

"Okay, it's like this, Mom," He started. "Their kinda stuck."

"Stuck?" Tai grimaced. They all nodded obediently. 

"Stuck?" She asked.

"Yeah. Um, you probably want to know how, huh?" Matt asked. His mother nodded, placing her hand on her hips. "Well, would you believe a force field?"

"Matt, it's in the middle of the night." She said in a level tone. " And you know I'm not a cheerful person till at least three cups of coffee. What. Is. Going. On?"

"Tai, buddy." Matt said, handing it off.

"She's your Mom!" Tai hissed.

"That's the point. I'm closer for her hurting advantage." He hissed back. Tai turned to the woman, and chuckled nervously.

"Look, I'll do it. There is a force field around the tent, and if you touch it, you get shocked. They're stuck." Mimi finally stated. "Don't know how it got there, don't know how to get rid of it."

"Yeah. Pretty much." Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck. She walked over, sighing. She approached the tent. Matt grabbed his arm before she reached the tent. "Mom, it shocks."

"It does." TK and Kari agreed. 

"You guys are serious?" She asked, almost in shock. They all nodded solemnly. She gave a questioning squeak. They continued to nod. " Yamatto, call your father and tell him to get over here _ now_." She said softly. Matt started to protest, but in the end he and Tai went to call their parents. Gatomon paced in front of the tent. Patamon sat on top of Izzy's head, as Izzy typed on his laptop, researching. TK and Kari watched their worried friends silently, holding their knees to their body's. It was freezing in their little bubble, but they didn't complain.

"Should we call the police? 911?" Mrs. Takaishi asked, panicking. Sora sighed.

"I think we should wait a while. It's probably Digimon-oriented." She told her. 

"I'm not made to take this kind of stuff." She said under her breath. TK's heart felt a pang. He ignored it, setting his head on his knees. After about ten minutes. . . . 

"Hikari!" Kari's mother rushed in, followed by her father. Tai followed. 

"Mommy!" Kari exclaimed. She stood up. "What are you doing here?" 

"Takeru!" TK's father entered the room, Matt at his side. TK looked up, and briefly smiled. His father and brother were really protective over him, and that made him feel special. 

Suddenly, light came from the back of the tent, and the electricity went out. TK and Kari stood up, facing the light. The light was sucking in air, and pulled at their pajamas. The parents pulled the kids back, ignoring their protests. 

"What is it?" Tai shouted over the loud wind. TK pulled his digivice from the belt of his pants, seeing it was activated. Kari did the same. Both Patamon and Gatomon ran up to the force field. The light brightened. 

"TK!" Matt yelled. The two children backed up, still facing the light. They seemed pale against the bright white light. They almost ran into the force field, but stopped. 

"TK!" Kari said loudly. She grasped his hand, afraid. Their eyes met, then returned to the light. The wind was so strong. All the digidestined yelled the youngest member's names. 

"Matt! Dad!" TK cried out.

"Tai!" Kari echoed. A burst of pulling force knocked both of the helpless kids to the ground. TK stood up, pulling Kari. They stood close together, scared. Matt and Tai moved to the force field, behind Gatomon and Patamon. 

"Hold on TK!" His father yelled. Both children shuddered as the light to intensified. 

"Patamon!" TK suddenly yelled loudly, as if in pain. Kari cried Gatomon's name. The light was getting closer to them. All the occupants of the room was yelling to TK and Kari. 

"Someone help us!" Kari shrieked. 

"Stop!" Izzy yelled out of pure terror. Light engulfed the two children, then the room exploded.

Chapter Four

~*~

"Ohhh." Izzy groaned, rolling over. He was stiff and cold on the hard floor. He slowly open his eyes to a swimming picture. He woke himself from a dream state, sitting up. He and the other kids were on the floor of TK's room, but in a cage. Their parents were gone, and so was their digimon. Izzy shook Sora awake.

"Sora! Hello, Houston, we have a major, major, problem." He said loudly. She sat up.

"Izzy, what are you babbling about?" She asked. Then she looked around. "Um, Tai." In a matter of minutes, they all were awake. TK and Kari were missing. Both of the brothers felt dread within. 

"It looks like TK's room, but it isn't." Mimi commented the obvious. Soft laughter suddenly filled the room. They looked around, alarmed. A man walked in, dressed in luxurious clothing. He laughed.

"What's so funny?" Joe demanded. He continued to laugh.

"I'm Intelectmon." He finally said. "And welcome to the games."

"What are you talking about?" Matt demanded. The man-like digimon ignored him. 

"You, girl in the pink." He said. 

"Me?" Mimi asked.

"Choose a letter: T or H." He asked her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Just do it." He growled. 

"Choose, Mimi." Tai confirmed. 

"T, I guess." She told the digimon, confused. He nodded. 

"Okay then. You just decided the fate of two souls. One you bought to the next level, the other is at your, you children's, mercy." He told them in a deathly tone. "You ready to play?" He asked. 

"What do you mean?!" Sora demanded. 

"Are you ready?" The man demanded. They all turned to Matt and Tai. Tai nodded. Matt inhaled.

"Okay." Tai told him. Intelectmon laughed. He left the room for few minutes, then shouting echoed in the hall. He stood in the doorway.

"Meet your torture-ee." He told them. He shoved a familiar boy inside, who fell to his hands and knees. The boy froze.

"TK!" Matt yelled. The others did the same. TK looked up. A large bruise was on his forehead, and dry blood on the sleeve of his pajamas. Intelectmon snapped, and TK suddenly was in a cage. He finally regained his voice.

"Matt!" He yelled, getting to his feet. 

"Let the game begin!" Intelectmon yelled joyously. "The rules: Answer the questions, if you get them right, nothing happens to little Takeru. If you get more than three questions wrong, let's say we'll need a new victim."

"If you even _try_ to hurt TK, I'll~" Sora threatened, then let her words die off. Mimi squeezed her shoulder in comfort. 

"Novice round." Intelectmon stated. "Question number one: What is the crest of Takeru?"

"Hope." They said in unison. TK leaned against the bars of his cage.

"Very good. Question number two: who's younger, Takeru, or Hikari?"

"Takeru." Matt said confidently. They all agreed. 

"Right again." Intelectmon applauded. "Question three: What is the exact day, time, and month of Takeru's birth?"

"Um," Tai turned to Matt. 

"April 13, at umm . . ." Matt stammered.

"What time?" Tai coaxed.

"Do you know what time Kari was born?! Let me think." Matt said tersely. "Twelve-thirty something."

"More specific, please." Intelectmon said, approaching TK. TK backed away. 

"Matt?!" He yelled.

"Twelve-Thirty-seven." Matt concluded. The others quickly agreed, trusting Matt. 

"Lucky guess." He growled, reluctantly moving away from TK. "The end of the novice round. Game is in rest for exactly two hours, in which you are to read this." He opened his coat, and pulled out an old, torn up book. He snapped and it was suddenly in the cage. The group glanced at it and returned their eyes to Intelectmon. The digimon returned the glare and snapped, and he and TK were gone. 

"What are we going to do?!" Mimi finally wailed. Joe pushed his glasses up his nose, turning to the book. 

"I don't know. But he has TK and Kari." Tai said softly. 

"Well, I think we better read this." Joe told them.

"Really." Izzy agreed. "If this Intelectmon is really playing with their lives, we need to win this game. Or~" He didn't finish his sentence. Sora kneeled in front of the book, opening. Inside was children's writing. Small cursive in some spaces, large print in other. It took her a second to actually see what it was.

"This is TK and Kari's writing!" She told them. "It's- it's the rest of their story." She hesitated, then began to read.

~*~

The children sat, quivering, holding each other's crests. Their eyes locked, alarmed. Neither could speak, but Piedmon went back down the stairs, standing in front of them.

"What now?" Kari mouthed. He shrugged, gulping. 

"So, that's where you are?" Piedmon turned to face them. They both uttered low moans. TK shoved Kari to the left, sliding behind the stairwell.

"Run!" He told her. She already had. They ran as fast as their legs could stand, turning random corners and entering and exiting rooms. They finally reached a dead end, a total drop off of floor.

"T-TK, what now!?" Kari whimpered. Piedmon had them cornered. TK, telling himself to be brave, got in front of the girl. He was a little shorter than her, and looked funny protecting her. 

"Nice chase, digidestined, but it's over now." Piedmon cackled. "Clown Trick!" He sent a burst at them. They both dove, barely missing it. _It's over_, a voice in TK's head declared. _No! We need to survive!_ The real TK argued, the TK the digidestined knew and loved. _Anything can happen, and it can be good!_

"TK! Your thinking good!" Kari said happily. "Alright!" Piedmon took a step back as the whole room shook. 

"What are you doing!?" Piedmon demanded. "Who is that?!" Kari was becoming visible to him. Kari's crest shined against her shirt, and TK's was even brighter. The world was getting dark. As the universe Perromon created collapsed, the children passed out, returning to the digital world.

~*~

"Is that all it says?" Izzy asked. 

"No, there's one more page. Look." The group gathered round, staring down at an old piece of paper. 

  
  


**Hikari******
**Takeru******
**Both******

Myotismon
Devimon
Piedmon

Machinedramon
Puppetmon
Perromon

Seadramon
Etemon
  
  
  
  


"What is it?" Matt asked in a weary voice. 

"It's says on the bottom that it's the digimon that scare them." Sora informed. 

"How much time do we have left?" Joe asked. Izzy looked down at his watch. 

"We have a half an hour left." He stated. 

"Memorize all you can." Tai ordered. "Even if you think it's stupid." Then, under his breath, "We have to win, TK and Kari are counting on us"

They quietly studied the pamphlet, sweating and nervous. The time quickly died. 

"I'm back." Intelectmon said, coming in. He was jolly and annoyingly calm. Matt and Tai both fumed at him. 

"You. Short boy." Intelectmon snapped. Izzy's ears flushed. "Choose, A or T." 

"Um. . ." Izzy stammered. He was to scared of the consequences. Sora gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "T?"

"Okay. I'll be back." The digimon went into the hall. He reentered in minutes, pushing both TK and Kari in. They got up, and backed away from Intelectmon. 

"Kari!" Tai yelled. Both he and Matt moved to the bars. Their younger siblings looked at them, then the cruel digimon approaching them. 

"Tai! What's going on?!" Kari cried. She had her hands grasping TK's arm. They reached the wall. Intelectmon snapped. They were in a cage. 

"Matt, Sora, guys?" TK asked, frightened. Kari was at a similar condition, torn pajamas and bruises. Both of the children sat, facing the opposite cage.

"Question one." Intelectmon called. "Why did Takeru and Hikari connect?" They all froze.

"Um, because Kari saved TK in the first match with Perromon." Izzy said nervously. They all agreed. 

"Good." Intelectmon cooed. "Question two: What is the digimon that scares both Hikari and Tekeru second most?" 

"That's-uh-oh." Izzy stammered. "I don't remember." 

"Isn't it Perromon?" Mimi asked. 

"Twelve more seconds." Intelectmon chimed.

"It's either Etemon or Perromon." Joe stated. "I go for Perromon. He less tough than Etemon."

"But were looking in TK and Kari's point of view. Did Etemon ever aim for them?" Izzy reasoned.

"Has Kari ever _seen_ Etemon?" Tai asked. Neither of them knew. 

"Well, we need to choose now." Matt said shakily. 

"Etemon?" Four raised their hands. Matt and Tai nodded, unsure. 

"Etemon." Joe answered. Intelectmon tsk-tsked. 

"I'm sorry, that's incorrect." He laughed. TK stood up, nervous. Kari remained sitting, looking up at him. Intelectmon turned to TK and Kari. He walked till he was about a yard from the cage. "Cerebellum Wave!!" Suddenly he let out a slicing gold ray, striking TK in the stomach. He fell back, holding himself. You could tell it hurt immensely. 

"TK!" Kari yelled, pulling him back. He was shaking, whimpering under his gasps. 

" No-TK!" Matt yelled. Fear raced up his spine, watching his brother shuddering in pain. Tai's first thought was relief it wasn't Kari, then he could of slapped himself. Poor TK! That kid was like the little brother he never had, and he was just relieved he was hurt. 

They watched wide eyed as the boy tremored and whimpered, trying to hide his pain from them. He looked like a toddler, his knees touching his forehead. Kari kept asking if he was okay, but he wouldn't answer. His blond hair covered his face. Kari sat next to him, her arm on his shaking shoulders. 

"Hold on, TK." Sora yelled. "Hold on."

"Question number three: When was the first time Takeru and Hikari were on their own?" Intelectmon asked. 

"When we were fighting Piedmon and I sent them ahead." Sora answered. They all agreed. 

"Okay. End of the Round. We have survivors. One is wounded, aw." He cooed. " Does it hurt?"

"Leave them alone!" Tai exclaimed. "Pick on somebody your own size."

"That would be no fun. No one here is as tall as me." Intelectmon mocked.

"How about me?" A gruff voice asked. They all turned.

"Togemon!" Mimi yelled happily. The digimon entered the room, followed by Gomamon, Gabumon, and all the others.

"It's great seeing you guys!" Izzy exclaimed. They all ran over as Togemon confronted Intelectmon. 

"I'll get you out!" Tentemon said. He quickly digivolved to Kabuterrimon. The cage was gone in seconds. 

"Thanks Kabuterrimon!" Izzy said, climbing onto his back. Matt and Tai ran over to their siblings, where Angewoman had ripped away the cage and Angemon had picked up TK. The boy seemed small in the angel's arm.

"You will never defeat me!" Intelectmon screamed.

"Get him, Togemon!" Mimi cheered.

"Needle Spray!" Togemon spread her needles at the digimon. He barely missed them. Angemon saw the fighting. Then he looked down at barely conscious TK. He knew he needed to help, but TK needed him. 

"Look out, Matt!" Matt dove, missing a golden ray. That was the last straw. He layed TK down near the wall, next to Kari and Tai, and joined the battle. 

"Oooh." TK wheezed as Tai picked him up, moving him from danger. His waist was red with blood.

"Hang on TK." Tai ordered. All but Gomamon had joined the battle, and Gabumon had digivolved to the warp level, Metalgarurumon. 

"Look!" Izzy exclaimed. There was this window of light right in the middle of the room. 

"What-hmm-is it?" TK asked, trying to see. He was in a slouching position in Tai's arms. Matt walked over, relieving Tai. TK sighed. The digimon returned to rookie form. Intelectmon laughed. 

"It's the way home!" Joe realized. They began to run over. 

"Stop!" The digimon ordered. They ignored him, the digimon already reaching the window. They stopped.

"You sure?" Sora asked. "_This_ is the way home?"

"I say let's try." Tai demanded. He stepped threw the window. After a few seconds, he stepped back. "Come on!" They quickly climbed threw, Tai taking TK so Matt could climb over. TK let out a cry of pain. Patamon and Gatomon slid threw as the window closed.Chapter Five

~*~

"We're home." Joe gasped. They all sat in a pile on the floor.

"Technically, only Matt and TK are." Izzy gasped in reply. They gave meagre chuckles. Patamon sat on Matt's head, looking down at TK.

"Is he alright?" Kari asked. TK coughed, looking up. Matt looked at his stomach. TK lifted his shirt a little.

"It's gone." Matt said, amazed and relieved. TK got up quickly and went into the bathroom. "TK?" The others walked in as TK began to vomit. 

"EW." Palmon and Mimi stated in unison. Kari sighed, then pushed past Matt and Patamon, and vomited. "I repeat ew." The older kids watched for a few minutes, then they felt it too.

"Two of you go to the downstairs bathroom, two in the guest room, the rest come with me." Matt ordered. They split up, and Matt lead the way to his mother's room. He, Tai and Izzy entered the bedroom, rushing into the bathroom.

"Matt?" Mrs. Takaishi asked, groggy. All three boys began to, _ya know_. All eight digidestined were vomiting, as their digimon watched, commenting unhelpfully.

~*~

"It turns out we all ate bad food. Food poisoning." Matt said. It was a week later, and they all were at the Tai and Kari's place.

"No way." Tai exclaimed.

"The pizza. All us kids ate the first one, and the digimon the second. That's why we got sick and they didn't." Matt continued. "It was a hallucination." 

"It was _too_ real!" Kari exclaimed.

"It certainly didn't _feel_ like a dream." TK said softly. Then, he got a questioning look on his face. "The blanket."

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"You threw the blanket on the thing around the tent. It's still burnt." He recalled.

"So it wasn't a hallucination?" Gomamon asked. 

"I don't think we will ever know." Izzy sighed. 

~*~


End file.
